1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for installing software and a recording medium storing a program for realizing the method. This apparatus makes it possible to automatically set parameters needed to be changed in compliance with a linked computer, a location, usable resources or the like, in an environment where objects operate cooperatively between a plurality of computers connected to a network.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, personal computers (hereinafter referred to as "PC"s) have been so widely used in offices that the maintenance cost of a large amount of software for the PCs used in the offices is steadily increasing. For the purpose of curtailing the cost, a new type of PCs called network terminals is available.
The network terminal is basically supplied with a program, such as word processing software, from a server that manages the program, every time the network terminal needs the program, rather than managing the program in the network terminal itself. In other words, since a server collectively updates a program whose version has been upgraded, it is not necessary to update the program on the PCs. Therefore, it is not necessary for users to take care of the version of software, because the software managed by the server is constantly maintained at the latest version.
Furthermore, the use of the network terminals makes it possible to use software at places other than the office or through another PC, as long as the network covers those places or the PC.
However, so far, most software programs that can be utilized by the network terminals operate individually on a PC to which the software program is transmitted. In other words, the software programs generally do not operate cooperatively with other PCs. Moreover, in the case where individual PCs are brought into a meeting room to exchange electronic information, it is necessary to utilize a software program that operates cooperatively between the individual PCs. However, in order to utilize the cooperatively operable software, it is necessary to change the setting of the IP address and other parameters of the PCs to which information is transmitted, depending on the PC on the other side of the cooperation or the location of the utilization.
In the related art, since PCs only can download programs that are statically managed by a server, each user has to set an IP address and other parameters in order to utilize a cooperatively operable software. However, users usually do not know the IP address of a place where they bring their PCs, so that they have to ask the network manager about the IP address of that place. As a result, even if users take their own PCs with them, the PCs cannot be effectively utilized.